Salvador Torres plans to join the tiny ranks of Hispanic men in nursing. But first, he hopes to join ranks of a different kind–the Marines.
Webster Elementary’s Khalid Oluewu
Chicago Public Schools graduate Khalid Oluewu, now principal of Webster Elementary in North Lawndale, likes to offer his own story as living proof of what is possible for his own students. Growing up in a low-income, Nigerian-American, single-parent home in Uptown, Oluewu learned responsibility very young. As a student at Arai Middle School (now Uplift High School), Oluewu got his…
Cather Elementary Dreams Big for Health and Academics
“If you have a healthy mind, you can learn,” says Cather Elementary Principal Wanda Carey. And a healthy mind usually comes with a healthy body. So, at Cather, Principal Carey has been working hard on both health and academics in her eight years of leading the school. You could argue that Cather’s work on building a school for healthy bodies…
Inside Lane Tech’s Sensory Wellbeing Hub
Lane Tech, Chicago’s largest high school, can overwhelm anyone. But kids with autism, sensory processing disorder or other conditions have struggled there. Now, there’s a refuge.
You Got Your GoCPS Letter. Now What?
The moment has arrived! You got your CPS results. Before you do anything else, take a deep breath. Remember, GoCPS is largely a lottery system and the results in the letter you received this week have little to nothing to do with the academic potential of your child. These letters say much more about the educational system in Chicago,…
How One Cooking Teacher Opens up a World of Opportunities for Students With Disabilities
This piece was originally posted by Adeshina Emmanuel at Chalkbeat Chicago. Growing up with dyslexia, Athenia Travis had to master other ways of learning at Chicago Public Schools. Now the Golden Apple-award nominee helps many of her culinary arts pupils do the same at Southside Occupational Academy, where students with special needs prepare for life after high school “At one…
What Can NYC’s Specialized Schools Learn From Chicago? Getting Beyond SHSAT Prep.
While New Yorkers debate the merits of scrapping the long-used SHSAT as the gatekeeper for entry to the crown jewels of the city’s high schools, there’s another way to get at the root problem of too many underprepared elementary students, especially in Black and Latinx communities. It’s working in Chicago. I am well aware that transplanting a bright idea that…